Al Mackling
Encyclopedia
Alvin Mackling, a retired lawyer
, born December 31, 1927 in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
is a longtime Democratic Socialist
. He was an alderman
in the former city of St. James from 1961 to 1969 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1969 to 1973 and from 1981 to 1988. He was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party
governments of Edward Schreyer
and Howard Pawley
.
Mackling was born and educated in St. James. In 1944 he left high school
and was employed with Saskatchewan Pool Elevators for five years. In the early 1940s he was smitten by the social gospel
of J. S. Woodsworth
and Stanley Knowles
. He became an active member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Young People's Movement
, becoming its President. In 1949 he went back to school graduating from United College
(now the University of Winnipeg
) in 1953. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway
as a yardman for a year, then entered the Manitoba Law School in 1954, graduating in 1958. During his university years he was actively involved in University Mock Parliament as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).
His first campaign as a candidate for political office was as a CCF candidate in the 1953 provincial election. He ran in the constituency
of St. James and was only narrowly defeated by the incumbent MLA
, Reg Wightman.
He ran unsuccessfully in several subsequent Provincial elections and once as a Federal CCF candidate in 1957.
In the 1950s Mackling and Howard Pawley were regarded as rebels against the CCF establishment in Manitoba. Both opposed the party's decision to dissolve itself into the New Democratic Party. They opposed the new party structure that gave labour unions a separate voting status within the new party.
Mackling was finally elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in the 1969 election. He was named as the Province's Attorney-General on July 16, 1969 and held the position for the Schreyer government's first term in office. He also served as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
from December 18, 1969 to August 1970.
As Attorney General, Mackling sought to develop better police-public cooperation introducing a system of cautions
for highway traffic first offences and established a Manitoba Police Commission. He established the first Human Rights Commission
, the first Ombudsman's Office, the first Law Reform Commission, the first publicly funded Legal Aid
system, and the first Criminal Injuries Compensation Program
. Under his guidance, numerous old regulatory systems were revised, including the Expropriation Act and the Landlord and Tenant Act. In revising the Landlord and Tenant Act, the old “right of restraint”--whereby landlords could seize a tenant's furniture
—was abolished and replaced by security deposit
s and a Rentalsman's Office was created to adjudicate tenancy disputes.
There was one issue in Mackling's tenure as Attorney General that was quite controversial. He was regarded as unnecessarily dogmatic by some members of the NDP Caucus and by some civil libertarians for shutting down a theatre which was screening the film Last Tango in Paris
without consulting other government ministers. His position was that as Attorney General he could not and would not allow possible political repercussions to influence law enforcement
. The Canadian Criminal Code defined a combination of violence
with a sexual act as obscene and since a violent sexual act was depicted in the movie, it was obscene.
He was defeated in the 1973 provincial election. His St. James constituents were angry that he had supported legislation
passed by his government that eliminated the City of St. James and merged it with the City of Winnipeg. St. James had been a very prosperous and successful city and his constituents vented their displeasure on him.
After his defeat in 1973 he returned to legal practice
but was persuaded in 1974 to take on chairmanship of the Manitoba Transport Board and the Manitoba Highways Board. During his highly successful tenure as Chairman of the Transport Board he became Chairman of a Federal-Provincial Transport Committee (CCMTA) which worked to harmonize motor transport
regulations.
In 1981 his friend and former colleague, Howard Pawley, persuaded him to run in the upcoming election
. He won and defeated George Minaker
, a Tory government minister who had defeated him in 1973.
In 1982 he was appointed Minister of Natural Resources. During his tenure he successfully led the establishment of provincial park
planning including the designation of part of the Whiteshell Provincial Park
as a wilderness area, the establishment of Atikaki
as a wilderness park, the establishment of the first forestry
practices guidelines, the restoration of freshwater fish
migration
through fish ladder
s and the removal of unnecessary dam
s and culvert
s.
In 1985 following the death of then Labour Minister Mary Beth Dolin
, Mackling was appointed Minister of Labour with responsibility for the Manitoba Telephone System Act, the Civil Service Act, the Civil Service Superannuation Act, the Civil Service Supplementary Severance Benefit Act, and the Public Servants' Insurance Act. He was reelected in the 1986 election against a challenge from a popular Tory, Eldon Ross.
On April 17, 1986 he continued as Minister of Labour and as Minister Responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System and also took on the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs.
The NDP government was unexpectedly defeated in the Legislature in early 1988 as a result of the defection
of Jim Walding
, a disgruntled caucus
member. Mackling decided not to contest the 1988 election and has not returned to political life since that time.
He and his wife Patricia were married in 1956. Patricia's mother, Lucille Ono, was a devoted supporter of the CCF and NDP. In her honour the Manitoba New Democratic Party presents an annual award to a member of the Party in recognition of his or her dedicated support.
Mackling was announced as a surprise NDP candidate in the federal riding of Provencher during the 2011 federal election.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, born December 31, 1927 in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
is a longtime Democratic Socialist
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
. He was an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in the former city of St. James from 1961 to 1969 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1969 to 1973 and from 1981 to 1988. He was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
governments of Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
and Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
.
Mackling was born and educated in St. James. In 1944 he left high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and was employed with Saskatchewan Pool Elevators for five years. In the early 1940s he was smitten by the social gospel
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...
of J. S. Woodsworth
J. S. Woodsworth
James Shaver Woodsworth was a pioneer in the Canadian social democratic movement. Following more than two decades ministering to the poor and the working class, J. S...
and Stanley Knowles
Stanley Knowles
Stanley Howard Knowles, PC, OC was a Canadian parliamentarian. Knowles represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre from 1942 to 1958 on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and again from 1962 to 1984 representing the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party .Knowles was widely...
. He became an active member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Young People's Movement
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
, becoming its President. In 1949 he went back to school graduating from United College
United College, Winnipeg
United College was a college in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was founded in 1938 with the merger of Manitoba College and Wesley College . The college was affiliated with the University of Manitoba. In 1967, United College received a charter and became the University of Winnipeg....
(now the University of Winnipeg
University of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
) in 1953. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
as a yardman for a year, then entered the Manitoba Law School in 1954, graduating in 1958. During his university years he was actively involved in University Mock Parliament as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).
His first campaign as a candidate for political office was as a CCF candidate in the 1953 provincial election. He ran in the constituency
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of St. James and was only narrowly defeated by the incumbent MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
, Reg Wightman.
He ran unsuccessfully in several subsequent Provincial elections and once as a Federal CCF candidate in 1957.
In the 1950s Mackling and Howard Pawley were regarded as rebels against the CCF establishment in Manitoba. Both opposed the party's decision to dissolve itself into the New Democratic Party. They opposed the new party structure that gave labour unions a separate voting status within the new party.
Mackling was finally elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in the 1969 election. He was named as the Province's Attorney-General on July 16, 1969 and held the position for the Schreyer government's first term in office. He also served as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (Manitoba)
The Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs is a former cabinet position in the government of Manitoba, Canada.The position initially emerged from the offices of Provincial Secretary and Minister of Public Works in the late 1960s...
from December 18, 1969 to August 1970.
As Attorney General, Mackling sought to develop better police-public cooperation introducing a system of cautions
Police caution
A police caution is a formal alternative to prosecution in minor cases, administered by the police and other law enforcement agencies in England and Wales, and in Hong Kong...
for highway traffic first offences and established a Manitoba Police Commission. He established the first Human Rights Commission
Human rights commission
A Human Rights Commission is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or truth and reconciliation commissions.-International Human Rights...
, the first Ombudsman's Office, the first Law Reform Commission, the first publicly funded Legal Aid
Legal aid
Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...
system, and the first Criminal Injuries Compensation Program
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. The Authority administers a compensation scheme for injuries caused to victims of violent crime in Great Britain and is funded by the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales and the devolved...
. Under his guidance, numerous old regulatory systems were revised, including the Expropriation Act and the Landlord and Tenant Act. In revising the Landlord and Tenant Act, the old “right of restraint”--whereby landlords could seize a tenant's furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
—was abolished and replaced by security deposit
Security deposit
In the field of taxation, a deposit is not included as gross income to the receiving party until the depositing party chooses to apply the funds to purchase services. A 1990 ruling provides that a deposit differs from an advance payment because the depositing party has dominion over the funds and...
s and a Rentalsman's Office was created to adjudicate tenancy disputes.
There was one issue in Mackling's tenure as Attorney General that was quite controversial. He was regarded as unnecessarily dogmatic by some members of the NDP Caucus and by some civil libertarians for shutting down a theatre which was screening the film Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris
Last Tango in Paris is a 1972 Italian romantic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci which portrays a recent American widower who takes up an anonymous sexual relationship with a young, soon-to-be-married Parisian woman...
without consulting other government ministers. His position was that as Attorney General he could not and would not allow possible political repercussions to influence law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
. The Canadian Criminal Code defined a combination of violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
with a sexual act as obscene and since a violent sexual act was depicted in the movie, it was obscene.
He was defeated in the 1973 provincial election. His St. James constituents were angry that he had supported legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
passed by his government that eliminated the City of St. James and merged it with the City of Winnipeg. St. James had been a very prosperous and successful city and his constituents vented their displeasure on him.
After his defeat in 1973 he returned to legal practice
Legal practice
Legal practice is sometimes used to distinguish the body of judicial or administrative precedents, rules, policies, customs, and doctrines from legislative enactments such as statutes and constitutions which might be called "laws" in the strict sense of being commands to the general public, rather...
but was persuaded in 1974 to take on chairmanship of the Manitoba Transport Board and the Manitoba Highways Board. During his highly successful tenure as Chairman of the Transport Board he became Chairman of a Federal-Provincial Transport Committee (CCMTA) which worked to harmonize motor transport
Motor transport
Motor transport refers to the operation and maintenance of a military vehicle fleet , and sometimes to the servicemembers to operate and maintain them. Traditionally, motor transport organizations are responsible for a unit's military trucks and associated equipment, as well as the transport of...
regulations.
In 1981 his friend and former colleague, Howard Pawley, persuaded him to run in the upcoming election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
. He won and defeated George Minaker
George Minaker
Clement George Minaker is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1973 to 1981, and served in the cabinet of Sterling Lyon...
, a Tory government minister who had defeated him in 1973.
In 1982 he was appointed Minister of Natural Resources. During his tenure he successfully led the establishment of provincial park
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
planning including the designation of part of the Whiteshell Provincial Park
Whiteshell Provincial Park
Whiteshell Provincial Park is a 2,729 km2 park centrally located in Canada in the province of Manitoba. It can be found in the southeast of the province along the Manitoba-Ontario border, approximately 130 km east of Winnipeg. The park is located in the Canadian Shield region and has many...
as a wilderness area, the establishment of Atikaki
Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park
Atikaki Provincial Park is located in Manitoba, Canada, and was partially mapped out by Marc Wermager, and is designated as a wilderness park. This means that there are no roads, logging areas, or major developments in the park. It is located east of Lake Winnipeg, along the Ontario border in the...
as a wilderness park, the establishment of the first forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
practices guidelines, the restoration of freshwater fish
Freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are fish that spend some or all of their lives in freshwater, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 0.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, the most obvious being the difference in levels of salinity...
migration
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
through fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
s and the removal of unnecessary dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s.
In 1985 following the death of then Labour Minister Mary Beth Dolin
Mary Beth Dolin
Mary Elisabeth Dolin was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 1981 as a New Democrat, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley prior to her death.Dolin was educated at Webster College, St...
, Mackling was appointed Minister of Labour with responsibility for the Manitoba Telephone System Act, the Civil Service Act, the Civil Service Superannuation Act, the Civil Service Supplementary Severance Benefit Act, and the Public Servants' Insurance Act. He was reelected in the 1986 election against a challenge from a popular Tory, Eldon Ross.
On April 17, 1986 he continued as Minister of Labour and as Minister Responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System and also took on the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs.
The NDP government was unexpectedly defeated in the Legislature in early 1988 as a result of the defection
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
of Jim Walding
Jim Walding
Derek James "Jim" Walding was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988, and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member of the New Democratic Party...
, a disgruntled caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
member. Mackling decided not to contest the 1988 election and has not returned to political life since that time.
He and his wife Patricia were married in 1956. Patricia's mother, Lucille Ono, was a devoted supporter of the CCF and NDP. In her honour the Manitoba New Democratic Party presents an annual award to a member of the Party in recognition of his or her dedicated support.
Mackling was announced as a surprise NDP candidate in the federal riding of Provencher during the 2011 federal election.